SARS-CoV-2 Brazil variants in Latin America: More serious research urgently needed on public health and vaccine protection

摘要

COVID-19 has not only created a pandemic but also affected both economically and socially in all countries. It has further created a socio-economic chaos throughout Latin America. Currently, some new SARS-CoV-2 variants are circulating in Latin America and one among the significant variant belongs to the P.1 lineage (B.1.1.28.1) that has 17 mutations. The essential modifications located in the spike glycoprotein RBD include E484K, K417T and N501Y. Along with the P.1 lineage, P.2 lineage (B.1.1.28.2) has also appeared recently. Details on all the variants are unknown, along with the Brazil variants at this time. Therefore, we call for intensive research to collect more data to understand the variants' virulence and the effects on vaccine efficacy.